


Strut Your Mutt

by Kosmicknife



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Chatting & Messaging, Dog Walking, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, First Dates, First Kiss, Flirting, Fluff, Gay Keith (Voltron), Keith loves his dog, Lance loves his cat, M/M, Matchmaker Shiro, POV Keith (Voltron), Tattoo Artist Keith (Voltron), Tattooed Keith (Voltron), Texting, broganes, coffee dates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-21
Updated: 2019-01-21
Packaged: 2019-10-13 23:13:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17497178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kosmicknife/pseuds/Kosmicknife
Summary: Keith likes routine. Keith walks his dog every day at the same time. Except that one-time Keith was running late and had to walk Kosmo an hour later than usual. That just so happened to be the day Keith (literally) ran into Lance. Weirdly enough Keith kept running into Lance? Everyday? But truth be told Keith didn’t find that to be too much of an issue…





	Strut Your Mutt

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so I'm not much of a writer but I loved the idea of a dog walking fic so here it is!  
> I'm considering adding on to this fic later. I've got a few different ideas for it so we shall see!  
> Hopefully, you all like it so, enjoy!
> 
> Follow me on twitter: @kosmicknife  
> You can come hear me scream about how much I love Keith and Lance or tell me your thoughts on the fic!
> 
>  
> 
> (Side Note whenever I upload on Ao3 it always fucks with my indentations for new paragraphs and shit and I hate fixing with it so If they're all over the place don't blame me )

           Keith was typically home from work at around 3 pm every day. Keith counted on his unwavering schedule so he could plan his life accordingly. Well, his life and his dogs. Kosmo was still a pretty young dog and needed lots of attention and care. Not to mention his excessive energy. Keith’s apartment was big enough to be comfortable for him and the newest resident but not big enough for Kosmo to run around and tire himself out. Keith found out relatively soon after adopting his new best friend that if he didn’t get walked often, he turned to destruction. Keith lost his favorite pair of shoes that way. Needless to say, he’d learned his lesson.

            But today Keith found himself having to stay later at work than usual. He had a session with a customer at the tattoo shop run late. He wanted to knock out the basics for this piece in this session since the customer wanted to get as much done as possible. With the session going late, Keith found himself rushing home praying to find all his shoes in one piece. Keith pushed his front door open and Kosmo peeked his head out of the bedroom. Kosmo saw Keith and began barreling towards him. Keith knew his dog well enough to prepare himself for what was coming next. He closed the door and quickly braced himself for impact. A second later the large black furry mass ran into him head on and paws were pressed on his body. Keith looked down at him as he stood against him and saw his tail wagging a mile a minute. If Keith didn’t know any better, he could swear Kosmo was smiling at him.

            “Hey, buddy. Did you miss me or something? I’m sorry I’m late today. I hope you didn’t get into too much trouble.” Keith smiled at Kosmo and scratched him between the ears. Kosmo licked his hand in response. Keith took a quick glance around the apartment for any signs of destruction but thankfully found nothing.

            “Alright, we’ll go for our walk now.”

Keith grabbed the leash and hooked Kosmo up to it. He locked the door and left the apartment as they set out on their daily walk. Keith liked routine and usually stuck to the same route during these walks. He started by walking by the nearby shops and restaurants near his apartment and then lead Kosmo to the nearby park that had lots of paths that were sure to keep him entertained. The pair left the building and turned left on the sidewalk. Keith liked to walk by the shops and look at the window displays and smell the various food that wafted through the air. He was particularly fond of the smells that came from the nearby coffee shop and the bakery that made pastries that Keith swore tasted like heaven.

Keith and Kosmo had walked by a few of the shops and Keith was busy looking at the display in the window across the street (It was full of jackets that looked like something he thought Shiro might like) when he suddenly found himself toppling over. Keith had felt a sharp tug of the leash and before he knew it Kosmo had pulled him towards a man leaving the coffee shop and Keith’s feet struggled to catch up. Kosmo met the stranger and Keith found himself heading for the ground. Keith yelped and accepted his fate of a nasty fall until he found a pair of hands around his shoulders that had caught him and lifted him upright again.

“That could’ve been a nasty fall. That dog of yours must be strong to pull you down. You’re lucky I like helping handsome strangers more than I like coffee,” the man said after saving Keith from face planting. He looked up at the man and was surprised by the eyes that met his. They were a beautiful brilliant blue surrounded by thick eyelashes. Keith’s eyes drifted to the rest of the mans face and noticed the smooth tan skin that was covered in subtle freckles.

Keith’s mouth fell open to speak but failed to find his words.

“Are you and your dog alright?”

Keith snapped out of whatever the hell was happening to him.

“Yeah, we’re fine, I think. Um… thank you for catching me.” Keith glanced at the spilled coffee cup at their feet and his free hand found its way to the back of his neck and rubbed it. “I’m really sorry about your coffee. Can I pay for a new one?”

The man smiled at him, “No that’s alright. I’m just glad you’re okay. It’d be a shame to damage a face like yours.” He glanced at the dog and smiled big, “Not to mention this adorable guy! Can I pet him?”

Keith felt a little heat rise in his cheeks from the comment about his face, but Keith tried not to focus on that. He saw that Kosmo had been circling the stranger and sniffing his legs and Keith could tell he was wanting attention.

“Sure, go ahead.”

He leaned down to start petting Kosmo with a goofy grin on his face. Kosmo leaned into his touch and seemed to be enjoying himself.

While still petting Kosmo, the man looked over at Keith and asked, “What’s its name?”

“His names Kosmo,” Keith answered watching the man pet his dog. The man turned his attention back to Kosmo and began to pet him with both hands.

“Aren’t you a handsome boy Kosmo? Who’s a good boy?” The man said to Keith’s dog. Kosmo began to viciously lick one of his hands, which caused the man to laugh.

Keith smiled at the two. Kosmo really seemed to like him. Keith had realized that he still didn’t know the name of the guy who caught him. Keith was trying to figure out a way to ask for his name without sounding too awkward. Keith didn’t want to outright ask and come off rude or weird but he also kind of wanted to know who this was.

Before Keith could get around to asking the man straightened up and turned his attention back to Keith. “So stranger, now that I’ve bonded with Kosmo maybe I should get to know his lovely owners name.” He leaned against the nearby wall and smiled at Keith waiting for a reply.

“Uh… Keith.”

“Well ,Keith it’s been nice to meet you and your pal Kosmo here. The names Lance,” he announced. “So where were you two off to before Kosmo decided to take a little detour?”

“We were just on our way for our daily walk. Kosmo’s probably just a little energetic today because I made him wait a little longer than usual,” Keith supplied.

“Busy day huh? Kosmo’s a lucky dog to have such a great owner like you who’s willing to take him on walks every day. Not a lot of people do that anymore,” Lance chatted.

Keith beamed at him. He really loved Kosmo and took pride in the care he gave him. “It’s mutually beneficial. He gets to burn some energy while my shoes and other things remain intact.”

Lance laughed. It was a really nice sound Keith thought. It rang pleasantly in Keith’s ears. Keith also thought about how nice Lance looked when he laughed. His shoulders shook and his teeth shined in the light making his smile bright and warm.

“Wel,l that’s good to hear. I’ve got a cat and she loves to tear up my furniture and she’s relentless. She’s no 100-pound dog but she does some major damage.”

Keith had never had a cat, so he wasn’t very well versed in this topic. “I didn’t know cats could be so destructive. I’ve only ever had dogs.”

“Oh yeah. Blue can be a little terror when she wants to. But she’s a sweetheart most of the time. She kind of acts like a dog sometimes. We even play fetch,” Lance babbled on.

“She sounds pretty great, but I think I’ll stick to dogs for now. Kosmo’s a handful,” Keith replied glancing as he pat Kosmo’s head.

Lance moved away from the wall and said, “I don’t blame you. Kosmo seems like a sweetie.” As he said this Kosmo began to tug at the leash Keith held in his hand. He was trying to walk towards the park. “Well, it looks like Kosmo here is ready to go. I guess I’ll see you guys later. It was nice meeting, you Keith. Hopefully, I see you and your furry pal around!” Lance said as he turned to leave. He waved at Keith and Kosmo over his shoulder.

“See you around!” Keith blurted. He watched as Lance walked away and turned the corner. When Lance had finally exited Keith’s view, he realized that his heart had been beating pretty fast the whole conversation. Keith wasn’t going to deny that he found Lance to be attractive. His eyes were beautiful and bright. His dark skin and brunette hair suited his sharp facial features incredibly well. Honestly, Keith would be lying if he said Lance was anything but one of the most attractive people he’s met. Something about him just made Keith’s heart pound and his hands sweat. He just didn’t expect himself to react that way that fast. Lance was really friendly, and Keith just thought about how awkward his actions might have been. Keith looked down and saw Kosmo staring at him.

“Don’t look at me like that. You’re the one who dragged me over there and made me look dumb in front of him.”

Kosmo just let out a small bark and turned around and began to walk towards the park. “Alright, buddy let's go.”

 

* * *

 

 

            Kosmo was busy chewing on one of his toys that Keith had bought him while Keith sat on the couch. It was a little after 3 pm. Again, later than he usually took Kosmo for his walk. Keith tried to tell himself that he wasn’t waiting longer to go on their walk just to possibly run into Lance again. He told himself he was just really interested in what he was watching on TV and wanted to finish this episode of… Shit. Keith didn’t even know what the hell he was watching. Some show about the ocean. He wasn’t really listening. Keith sunk further down into the couch and sighed.

            Who was he kidding? He definitely wanted to see Lance again. He had fun talking to him yesterday. And… well ,he was pretty to look at too. Keith felt like time was moving slower just because he was anxious to leave and see Lance again, but he didn’t want to risk missing him. Keith wasn’t even sure if Lance always got coffee at the same time every day, but it was Keith’s only chance of seeing him again.

            Finally, it was bout the same time he and Kosmo had left yesterday so he grabbed the leash and hooked it up to Kosmo’s collar and headed out the door. They took the same path as usual but this time he hardly glanced at the displays in the shops. He was walking faster than normal, and he just knew he wanted to reach the coffee shop in hopes of seeing Lance again. Keith knew it was unlikely to happen, but he was still hopeful. Finally, he was nearing the front of the shop he peeked in the window as Kosmo lead him forward. Keith slowed his pace slightly, slow enough he could get a good look at inside the shop but still fast enough, so it didn’t seem weird.

            He only saw a few people in the shop but no blue-eyed brunette that he’d met the previous day. Keith tried to hide the disappointment he felt creeping up. Of course, he wouldn’t be in the shop again at the same time today. Keith knew he probably wouldn’t see Lance again any time soon. Kosmo continued to pull Keith forward down the sidewalk. There were still a few more shops to pass before they reached the edge of the park. Keith looked forward and watched Kosmo enjoy himself. They passed by some boutique, an antique store, and they were about to pass by Keith’s favorite bakery.

            Just as the pair reached the front of the shop the bell rang as the door swung wide open. Keith had to stop in his tracks to avoid running into him yet again. Keith was happy to see that it was Lance who had just exited the bakery. Lance turned towards him with a big smile on his face.

            “Hey ,Keith! Fancy meeting you here,” Kosmo brushed his nose against Lance’s hand that hung down by his side which caused Lance to turn his attention to Kosmo and continue, “And you too Kosmo. Looking adorable as always.” Lance leaned over to scratch behind his ears.

            “Hey ,Lance. Nice to see you again,” Keith said. _More than just nice_ , Keith thought to himself.

            Lance straightened himself and met Keith’s gaze. _Those eyes are going to be the death of me I swear_ he thought.

            “So, what have you two handsome guys been up to all day?” Lance said with a small wink. Keith felt the heat rise in his cheeks. _Lance is just being friendly. He’s not flirting._

            “Oh, you know. Work and then a walk around the neighborhood. Nothing too interesting. What about you?” Keith asked.

            “I had some classes and I was just stopping by my friend's shop to say Hi to him.”

            “Wait,” Keith said. “Your friend owns this bakery?”

            “Yeah! Hunk. He’s basically gods gift to food. You should stop by sometime. The foods amazing!” Lance exclaimed.

            “I know it is. I stop by all the time. I’m obsessed with the sugar cookies. My brother says I have a problem,” Keith rambles.

            Lance laughs erupts from his mouth. This one is big enough that it shakes his whole body. _Such a pretty sound._

“Keith dude. You don’t even know the half of it. Hunk and I live together, and he cooks most of our meals and it’s like eating at a five-star restaurant every night.” Keith could feel his mouth water. If Hunk’s meals were even half as good as his pastries, they had to be god level.

“Oh man, that must be amazing. Hunk’s food at the bakery is so fucking good.”

Lance smiled softly. “I’ll let him know you love his food so much. He’ll be happy to know.”

“Please do. He deserves to hear that. I’m just always too awkward to tell him whenever I go in.” Keith chuckles and Lances joins him. Kosmo sits patiently at their feet just watching them occasionally sniffing the sweet smell of food in the air. Keith is pretty sure that his face is just in a semi-permanent state of blushing while he’s around Lance. He just hopes that Lance doesn’t notice. Keith isn’t sure how long the two have been standing there but he wouldn’t mind just standing there all day talking to Lance. Lance just seemed so calm and relaxed when Keith talked to him which just made Keith worry more about doing or saying something wrong. So far though Lance seemed to enjoy talking to Keith too. At the thought of that Keith’s stomach fluttered slightly.

“Well next time you go in I’m sure Hunk would love to be showered in compliments by someone like you. He’s a really cool guy. So, don’t worry about coming off awkward,” Lance replied finally.

_Someone like me?_

“Oh well… thanks, Lance. I’ll do that.”

Lance's face softens a little and he checks his watch which then leads Keith to do the same. They’d been talking for a while now. Lance lifts his head again and looks at Keith before speaking again. “Well It’s been great seeing the two prettiest boys on the block again but I’ve gotta run. It’s been nice seeing you, Keith!”

“Yeah, you too Lance. See you!” Keith says. Keith watches Lance leave until he reaches the corner again. Keith can feel the stupid grin resting on his face. He doesn’t even care if he looks like a love-sick puppy. Lance was really nice to talk to. Even if Keith knew he had almost no chance with a guy like that. Keith tugged on the leash letting Kosmo know it was time to keep walking. Keith was letting his mind wander as they finished their walk, but it somehow kept coming back to Lance.

 _Wait did he call me pretty?_ Keith suddenly thought.

 

* * *

 

 

The cool spring breeze blew across Keith’s face. Kosmo’s fur was also being moved with the wind. He sniffed the air and Keith swore he was smiling again. Keith thought it was cute seeing Kosmo enjoy his walks like this. The two of them had set out a few minutes ago and Kosmo was already loving every minute.

It had been a few days since Lance and Keith’s interaction outside the bakery. Since then the two of them had run into each other almost every day when Keith took Kosmo for a walk. It had kind of become part of his daily routine to run into Lance. Kosmo had grown used to it. He knew once Keith started talking to Lance that their walk was put on hold and usually sat at the pair’s feet waiting patiently. Sometimes he demanded to be pet by either Keith or Lance while they chatted. Lance and Keith usually talked about their days or various other things they had going on in their lives. Lance loved to talk about his cat and his friends. Keith loved to hear Lance’s little stories about them. Truth be told his short conversations with Lance were becoming his favorite part of his day.

Eventually, Keith and Kosmo made it to the front of the coffee shop Lance frequented and right on schedule he burst out of the door almost right in front of Keith.

“Well hey strang-“ Lance began to say but trailed off into silence. He was staring at Keith and Keith suddenly felt paranoid. He lifted his free hand to touch his face.

“What? Do I have something on my face?”

Lance still hadn’t said anything. He just stared at Keith with his lips slightly parted and a look of surprise on his face. Keith almost swore that Lance had a shade of pink creeping on his cheeks. But maybe that was just him being hopeful.

Lance finally spoke, “No! You look fine. Great even. I was just- uh. Your hair. It’s up. And I uh haven’t seen it like that.”

Keith instinctively reached behind his head to fiddle with the ponytail he had put his hair in for work earlier. “Oh uh yeah. I put it up for work sometimes and I guess I forgot to take it out,” He said sheepishly.

Lance finally seemed to snap out of whatever just occurred. A goofy grin spread across his face. “Who knew you could rock the ponytail look? Maybe that mullet does have an upside.”

Lance winked at Keith which caused him to let out a snort. “It’s not a mullet. It’s just a little long. I just never like getting it cut.”

“Why cut it when you make it work so well?” Lance said and leaned in towards Keith slightly. Keith was also met with an eyebrow wiggle from Lance that he’d grown used to over the past few days. Keith rolled his eyes a little.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were obsessed with my hair.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say obsessed. Maybe just a little infatuated. But can you blame me?” Lance chimed.

 _Okay but this is definitely flirting, right?_ Keith wondered.

“First you insult my hair and now you’re saying you like it. Geez, Lance make up your mind, would you?” Keith replied.

“Nah I think I’ve made up my mind,” Lance paused then glanced at the coffee shop and then back to Keith. “Hey, do you want a coffee? On me?”

Keith wasn’t expecting that. All of the times they bumped into each other Lance had never offered coffee. But who was Keith to turn down anything from Lance?

“Uh… yeah! Coffee sounds nice actually.”

Lance looked at Kosmo apologetically, “They don’t allow dogs in there. So, I’ll go get it if you two wanna wait here.”

“Sure.”

Lance opened the door but stopped before letting it close, “Wait how do you take it?”

“Just black.”

Lance scrunched his nose with disgust. “You’re one of those people. Gross,” He said before Keith could respond with any contradictions. Keith watched him through the window as he walked towards the counter and place an order. Keith looked down to see Kosmo was watching Lance through the window too. His eyes followed his movements as if he were waiting for him to return. _Wow,_ Keith thought. E _ven my dog has a thing for Lance._ Keith turned back and saw Lance nearing the door in front of him with a coffee in hand.

The bell rung as the door swung open. “Here ya go! This place has the best coffee even if you are a monster who takes it black,” Lance said as he handed the cup to Keith. Keith took the cup with his free hand and the warmth from the coffee inside it immediately spread to his fingertips. He lifted the drink to his lips and took a sip. The coffee was really good, and Keith was surprised he’d never stopped at this shop considering how often he stopped outside of it to talk to Lance.

“Wow, it’s really good. Thank you,” Keith sighed and took another sip.

Lances face visibly brightened at that. “I’m glad. It's not every day I get to treat a good-looking guy to coffee,” He said with a wink.

Keith being mid sip almost choked on his coffee. Keith coughed a little and immediately felt the blush warm his cheeks. _Holy shit did he just say that?_

“I uh- well thanks? I guess?” Keith stammered. He was busy looking everywhere but Lance’s face.

“Well since we both have coffee now maybe we should stop loitering in front of the coffee shop for once. How about I join you two on your walk for a little bit?” Lance asked still staring at Keith.

_FUCK YES_

“Yeah sure. That sounds nice,” Keith answered.

The two boys began to walk together along Keith’s normal route towards the park.

 _Fuck fuck fuck fuck now what? We’ve never walked together before._ Keith’s mind began to reel. _What am I going to talk about? What if we run out of things to say? What if he gets bored? What if-_

“Whatcha thinking about there, Mullet?” Lance inquired. Keith suddenly realized that Lance had leaned forward a bit and had been looking at Keith as his mind wandered.

“Huh?” Keith stuttered.

“Your face was all serious and panicky looking. It looked like you were thinking hard about something. So, what was it?”

“Uh,” Keith paused. “Just work stuff, I guess. It’s been pretty busy lately.”

“You haven’t mentioned what you do yet.”

“Oh yeah. I’m a tattoo artist at a shop a few blocks over.”

“That would explain all of the sick ink you’ve got going on,” Lance quipped gesturing towards Keith’s upper arms.

Keith glanced at his tattoos. They decorated his biceps and shoulders on both arms. They were a mixture of tattoos with meaning and ones that were simply artistic. Keith’s favorite was the one on his left shoulder that was of a giant red lions paw print. It was surrounded by stars and galaxy designs that complimented it well. The other tattoos that covered that arm were simply artsy and ones Keith got because he thought they looked cool. His other arm had more space related designs along with aliens incorporated into them. Keith was far from finished when it came to tattoos. Keith had lots of untouched skin that he was just itching to put some ink on.

“Yeah. These are just a few of them though. I’ve got more on my back and stuff.”

“Oh really?” Lance hummed. “I bet those would be really nice to see someday,” He said while looking forward with a coy smile on his face.

_Jesus Christ he’s going to kill me._

The pair continued to sip their coffee and chat as they strolled through the park. Occasionally Kosmo would smell a squirrel or another dog and begin barking in their direction which would cause the men to laugh. They talked about Lances classes and what he was studying (Astrophysics but he also really liked astrology). Lance told Keith about how he worked as a bartender and helped out at Hunk’s bakery sometimes. Lance talked about his friend’s Hunk and Pidge a lot. Keith told Lance about his work at the tattoo shop and the art he’s been designing for clients. Keith asked Lance about his family which led Lance to go into detail about his big family.

After walking along the path that winded through the park eventually they decided to sit on a bench and keep talking. Kosmo didn’t seem to mind since he just resigned to laying down at Keith’s feet. They continued to talk about their lives and their hobbies and the things they were passionate about. Keith and Lance had stayed out so long that the subtle signs of the sun setting in the sky began to shine through the trees. The orange peeked through and they suddenly realized how late it had gotten. Kosmo had fallen asleep on the ground.

“Wow, it’s getting pretty late, huh? I should probably take Kosmo here back home,” Keith suggested.

“Yeah you probably should,” Lance sighed.

Keith stood up to leave. Kosmos stirred at his feet and stood up to follow.

“Hey, Keith?” Lance suddenly said.

“Yeah?”

“I had a really great time talking to you today. It’d be nice to do it again sometime.”

Keith smiled. “Yeah, it would be.”

“Could I text you sometime?”

“I think I’d like that.”

“Good because my phone numbers on the bottom of your coffee cup,” Lance declared.

Keith’s eyes went wide as they moved to look at the cup in his hand. It had long been emptied but Keith hadn’t had a chance to toss it yet. He turned the cup and checked the bottom. Sure, enough seven digits were scrawled on the bottom with Lance's signature that was followed by a little heart. Keith peeked back over to Lance to find him sitting there with a smug grin plastered across his face. He sat on the bench leaning back with his arms resting behind his head as he watched Keith’s reaction.

“When the fuck did you have time to do this? I watched you order it?”

“I am a man of many mysteries Mullet boy. I have my ways,” Lance teased. “So… will you text me sometime?”

“Yeah! I will. I’d- uh… I’d like that a lot,” Keith struggled to say. He didn’t want to sound too eager but internally his mind was basically screaming, and his heart felt like it was about to beat out of his chest.

“Sounds good. I’ll talk to you later then Keith.” Lance shot some finger guns at Keith, winked and then turned around and walked away.

Keith snorted as Lanced turned and left. _How am I into him?_

Kosmo nuzzled his face into the side of Keith’s leg trying to get his attention. Keith looked down. Kosmo let out a small soft “woof” indicating that he was ready to leave.

“Alright boy. Let’s head home.”

 

* * *

 

 

Keith: Hey Lance. It’s Keith. And Kosmo. He’s laying on me while I type this.

Lance: Hey Keith! Hi Kosmo!

Lance: Blue says Hi too :3                            

Lance: My angels laying in the window rn being adorable!

*Image received*

Keith: She’s pretty cute

Lance: It’s what she does best ;)

Lance: Oh, Hunk says hi too.

Lance: and Pidge.

Lance: The whole gangs over at the apartment today lol

Keith: You sound busy I don’t mean to bother you

Lance: NO

Lance: KEITH

Lance: I want to talk to you

Lance: and they don’t mind if I’m texting you while we hang out. They’re pretty busy playing Mario Kart anyway.

Keith: Are you sure?

Lance: Definitely. I like talking to you ^-^

Keith: Okay

Keith: I like talking to you too

 

* * *

 

 

Lance: Keeeeeeeeeeeith

Keith: What Lance?

Lance: I miss your dog

Keith: Lance I’m at work. I can’t help you with that.

Keith: Besides you’ll probably see him when I take him for a walk

Lance: No I won’t cuz I’m trapped at home studying all day for an exam tomorrow ;(

Keith: Well

Keith: I could send you pictures of Kosmo on our walk

Lance: KEITH

Lance: MULLET

Lance: MY FAVORITE GUY

Lance: PLEASE

Keith: I’m on it. I’ll send you some later.

 

*A couple hours later*

 

*Image sent*

*Image sent*

*Image sent*

*Video sent*

Lance: ASKLFJKSLKA

Lance: HE’S SO CUTE

Lance: HOW IS HE ALLOWED TO BE THAT CUTE

Lance: THAT VIDEO OF HIM CHASING A SQUIRREL MADE MY HEART STOP

Lance: AHHHH <3 <3

Keith: He almost tripped me trying to get to the squirrel

Lance: HE JUST WANTED A LITTLE FRIEND

Keith: He almost made me fall Lance

Lance: PRECIOUS BOY

Keith: :/

Lance: That’s a very Keith emoji

Keith: :///

Lance: KEITH

Lance: I HAD AN IDEA

Lance: A PLAYDATE

Keith: What?

Lance: We should plan a playdate for Kosmo and Blue sometime! It’d be so adorable! :3

Keith: I think Kosmo would like that

Lance: sounds like a date :)

 

* * *

 

 

Lance: Keith I need your help settling something

Lance: Pidge and I are having a debate about whether or not Bigfoot is real

Lance: Thoughts?

Keith: Bigfoot is 100% real

Lance: KEITH NOT YOU TOO

Keith: Pidge is right. He’s real.

Lance: OH MY GOD

Keith: Lance. There’s tons of evidence. First person accounts, videos, pictures.

Lance: JESUS

Keith: HE’S REAL LANCE

Keith: Ask Pidge about Mothman

Lance: What the hell is a mothman?

Keith: Mothman is a cryptid that’s half moth and half man and he lives in West Virginia

Keith: And my favorite cryptid

Lance: Oh god

Lance: You’re like Pidge

Lance: I brought up mothman to Pidge and she started yelling at me because I’ve never heard of him

Lance: Pidge is apparently obsessed with this thinGkajfk

Lance: KEITH THIS IS PIDGE

Lance: I STOLE LANCE’S PHONE TO TELL YOU TO MARRY HIM SO YOU AND I CAN BE BEST FRIENDS AND MAKE HIM A BELIEVER TOO

Keith: Hi Pidge

 

*Roughly 10 minutes later*

 

Lance: Keith I’m really sorry about that

Lance: She’s a monster sometimes.

Keith: It’s okay. Pidge seems cool. I never meet anyone else who likes Mothman.

Lance: It would be just my luck to meet a guy who’s into Mothman more than me ;(

Keith: This coming from a guy who uses a winky sad face emoji. I didn’t even know those were a thing.

Lance: ;( ;( ;( ;P ;P

Keith: :/

 

* * *

 

 

Lance: Hey Keith! I won’t be around during your walk today. Some stuff came up.

Lance: BUT I did tell hunk to put aside some of those cookies you love

Lance: On me ;)

Keith: You didn’t have to do that Lance

Keith: But thank you

Keith: Does Hunk allow dogs in the shop?

Lance: Not usually but I’ve shown him pictures of Kosmo and he’s dying to meet him

Lance: So, I think he’ll make an exception

Keith: Alright. Thanks again Lance :)

*A few hours later*

Keith: Kosmo loved Hunk and the cookies were great.

Lance: I’m glad you liked them. I should see you guys tomorrow!

Keith: That’s good. Kosmo misses you.

Lance: Are you sure it’s just him that misses me? ;3

 

* * *

 

 

Keith: Hey Shiro I need you to do me a favor.

Shiro: Sure, what’s up?

Keith: I’m stuck at the shop pretty late tonight and Kosmo still needs to go his walk. Would you mind taking him for me?

Shiro: Yeah no problem!

Keith: Great! Thank you! I owe you one.

Shiro: Keith by now you owe me like 20

Keith: Sure Shiro.

Shiro: I’ll be sure to say hi to your boyfriend if I see him ;)

Keith: Shut up Shiro

Keith: Lance is NOT my boyfriend

Shiro: not yet anyway ;)

Keith: Kosmo’s pretty strong so it’s probably easier to just let him lead you

Shiro: ;)

 

 

* * *

 

 

            Kosmo led Shiro down the sidewalk past the little shops. Kosmo pulled Shiro along with such vigor that Shiro was worried that his collar might be digging into Kosmo’s neck. Kosmo didn’t appear to be slowing down any time soon though. It was another warm spring day. The breeze blew ever so slightly. Kosmo’s nose was lowered to the ground almost like he was following a scent. Shiro watched Kosmo walking on the ground and seeing the effort he was going through to try and drag Shiro along. Shiro wasn’t a small man by any means but Kosmo had to be at least 120 pounds. Shiro didn’t know how Keith did this every day. Shiro had just started and he was already worn out.

             In only a few seconds, Shiro watched Kosmo lift his head, spot something on the sidewalk in front of them, and take off running towards it. At this point, Shiro had to run to keep up with the dog. While still jogging to keep up Shiro searched the path in front of them to see what Kosmo was running towards. To his surprise, it was a man who was leaning against the front of a coffee shop. Before Shiro could figure out what was happening, Kosmo was colliding into the man.

            The man stumbled when Kosmo connected with him but managed to stay upright. Kosmo let out a “woof” and began slobbering on the man's hands.

            “Well it’s nice to see you too,” the man laughed.

            “I am so sorry! He just kind of pulled me over here and he’s surprisingly strong!” Shiro apologized.

            The man looked more surprised to see Shiro than he was to be tackled by a giant dog. His face twisted in confusion but Shiro thought he saw a bit of anger fill his eyes. For a second Shiro was afraid that he had upset the man more than he originally thought.

            “Um, this isn’t your dog. Where’s Keith?” The man asked.

            Shiro blinked in surprise and responded, “Um he’s held up at work tonight so I’m walking Kosmo here. Are you a friend of Keith’s?”

            The man stood taller and puffed out his chest as he spoke, “Yeah I am. I’m Lance.”

            Shiro’s eyes widened and he began to smile knowingly, “Oh so your Lance. Keith’s told me about you.” Kosmo had situated himself right beside Lance’s feet as he continued to stroke him. “Kosmo seems to really like you too,” Shiro continued.

            “Yeah I see him about every day, so I’d hope so,” Lance almost sneered.

            Shiro could sense that something was bothering Lance. He was being cold towards Shiro but from what Shiro had heard from Keith, Lance was supposedly really friendly and kind. Maybe he was just having a bad day? Or maybe he was just upset that Keith wasn’t there and he had to see Shiro instead? Or… It suddenly hit Shiro what it might look like from Lance’s perspective. A strange man was walking the dog of the guy he was (probably) interested in, which meant he must be close to Keith in some way. Maybe Lance was just a little jealous?

            “Yeah, my brothers mentioned your daily meetups. He seems to really like them,” Shiro said making sure to put a little emphasis on the word brother.

            Lance blinked a few times. _Bingo,_ Shiro thought to himself.

            “Brother?”

            “Well adoptive brother, but still brothers.”

            Lance broke into a slight smile, “Oh so you must be Shiro! Yeah, Keith’s mentioned you a lot.”

            “All bad things too I bet,” Shiro chuckled.

            “Nah he went pretty easy on you.”

            “Well Keith’s mentioned you a lot since you two bumped into each other,” Shiro said with a hint of suggestion in his voice. “I can’t remember the last time he talked about someone so much.”

            He watched as a pink tint found its way to Lance’s cheeks along with a sheepish expression.

            “Yeah well… Keith’s pretty great,” Lance said as he rubbed the back of his neck with a far-off look in his eyes.

            “Yeah I know,” Shiro said. He glanced at his watch and continued, “Well Lance it’s been really nice meeting you, but I should probably get going. I’ll see you around!”

            “Yeah see you!” Lance exclaimed as Shiro and Kosmo turned to leave.

 

* * *

 

 

Lance: So, I ran into your brother when he walked Kosmo today

Keith: Yeah, I’m sorry about him I think he was dropped on his head once

Lance: alkjskdj

Lance: Keith you can’t just surprise me with a joke like that

Lance: He was actually really cool

Keith: Yeah, he’s a great guy

Lance: He mentioned that you might talk about me sometimes ;3

Keith: Well I’ve only mentioned you a few times

Keith: Just in passing

Lance: Suuuure

Lance: But just so you know

Lance: Hunk says I talk about you sometimes too

 

* * *

 

 

“My two favorite men have walked into my life once again!” Lance shouted when he saw Keith and Kosmo approach. Lance was waiting outside of the coffee shop yet again with a coffee in his hand.

“Hey, Lance! Are you always this dramatic?”

Lance gasped and clutched his chest. “Me? Dramatic? Never!”

Keith laughed at the scene. When Keith looked back at Lance, he was holding out his coffee cup to Keith. Keith arched his eyebrow in confusion.

“For you. Black like you like it,” Lance supplied after reading Keith’s expression.

“Oh! Thank you.” Keith took the cup.

“I was thinking we could walk through the park today. What do you say?” Lance suggested.

“That sounds good to me.”

Lance and Keith strolled through the park again. The two had been meeting up with each other for about a week or two now and they had fallen into some sort of rhythm. They recounted what they did during the day since they last saw one another. Lance told some story about Pidge or Hunk from the other night. Keith mentioned the new restaurant he and Shiro tried out recently. While the two swapped stories Keith thought he could sense that Lance was a bit jittery. Lance was talking a bit faster than usual and stumbled over his words every so often when he spoke. He was fidgeting with the bottom of his shirt and running his hands through his hair. Keith tried not to think too hard about it. Keith was a worrier and he was trying to enjoy his walk with Lance and Kosmo.

Soon the three reached the end of their walk. They made their way to the corner where one direction led to Lance’s apartment and the other to Keith’s.

“It was great to see you again Lance,” Keith said turning to go.

“Wait!” Lance blurted.

Keith jumped a little at the urgency in his voice. “What’s wrong?”

Lance was staring at his feet and fiddling with his hands as he spoke next. “Nothing's wrong! The exact opposite actually. Well maybe not, it depends on what you say after I ask you this. Hopefully, it’s good but if not that's okay too! But well I-” Lance babbled on.

“Lance?” Keith stopped him.

“Uh yeah?” Lance looked up.

“What did you want to ask me?”

He ran his hand through his hair again and looked at the sky. “I uh- Well I was wondering if you’d like to go out with me sometime? Like as a date?” Lance finally got out.

_Holy shit holy shit holy shit holy shit He just asked me out WHAT THE FUCK. Fuck I can’t believe he actually asked me out. Wait it’s been a few seconds since he asked. I should answer before the silence gets weird._

“I’d love to go out with you Lance,” Keith gushed.

Keith watched as Lance’s face was overcome with joy. His smile was big enough it was surely infectious, and his eyes seemed brighter than usual.

“Seriously? Oh man, this is gonna be so much fun. I’m gonna romance the crap out of you Mullet. Just wait,” Lance almost cheered.

Keith laughed. He was pretty sure his smile was permanently stuck on his face now. Lance, probably the most attractive guy Keith had ever met, had just asked Keith out on a real date. Keith’s stomach felt like it was doing backflips and his hearts tempo felt faster than any drum solo he’d ever heard.

Just then Kosmo let out a hearty bark which caused Keith to laugh harder and Lance to join him.

“I think that means Kosmo approves,” Keith said in between breaths.

Lance kneeled down and ruffled Kosmo’s unruly black fur and laughed. “Well, that’s good. I couldn’t go through with the date if my favorite dog didn’t approve.”

Lance stood up abruptly and continued “I’m gonna go and plan our date! I’ll text you later, okay?”

“Yeah sounds good! Bye Lance!”

“See ya hot stuff,” Lance said and in classic Lance style shot finger guns at Keith before he turned and left.

Keith stood in place for a moment just absorbing what just happened. Lance. Just asked Keith out on a date. _Holy shit._ Keith was still in awe that someone as interesting and great as Lance could like someone like Keith. Keith wasn’t the most social or the best when it came to people and Keith admired those traits in Lance. Lance just always knew the right thing to say and he was funny and charming. Keith felt super lucky to have met him.

Kosmo tugged on the leash signaling to Keith that he was ready to go. Keith followed his lead and headed towards his apartment still in a lovestruck daze.

 

* * *

 

 

Lance: Are you free on friday?

Keith: Yeah, I’m off of work then

Lance: Perfect! :3

Lance: I had the best idea for a first date. You’ll love it.

Keith: What is it?

Lance: It’s gonna be a surprise

Lance: But I will tell you it involves dinner at your place

Keith: Okay?

Keith: Are you cooking?

Lance: Maaaaaaaybe ;))

Keith: That sounds like fun

Keith: I can’t wait

Lance: I will be counting the minutes until I can see that Mullet and pretty face of yours <3

Keith: … <3

Lance: AJKSLDLAKD

 

* * *

 

 

            It was 6:20 pm on Friday night and Lance was supposed to be at Keith’s apartment in about 10 minutes. And Keith was panicking. He had been trying to figure out what to wear for way too long. He laid out his two final choices on the bed and just stared at them hoping the choice would be made for him. He had narrowed it down to either a red button up dress shirt or a black one in a similar style. Keith thought that the red one would be good since he was already wearing dark jeans. But Keith thought that the black shirt showed off his arms better since the fabric clung to his muscles better. Keith glanced at Kosmo out of his peripheral vision. The dog was laying down in the bedroom doorway watching him closely.

            “What do you think boy? The black or the red one?” Keith asked.

            Kosmo let out a small whine in response.

            “Fine. I’ll just go with the black one.” Keith buttoned it up and rolled up his sleeves high enough that the edge of his tattoos poked out. He then decided to pull his hair into a messy ponytail. He remembered how Lance had reacted the first time he saw it and had hoped for a similar effect. He double checked himself and the mirror and was satisfied with his choices for the night.

            The nerves had kicked in, so Keith had begun to pace in his bedroom a little bit. He picked up a sock on the floor and tossed it in the hamper, he moved some books back on their shelf, basically anything to distract himself. Until he heard a knock on the door.

            Keith entered the living room and walked towards the front door. He took a deep breath and began to turn the knob. Keith opened the door to reveal Lance with one arm full of a brown grocery bag and the other one was… Keith’s eyes trailed down to follow the leash Lance was holding in his other hand. The leash was attached to a gray cat who just sat in the doorway licking its front paw.

            “Uh… You brought a cat to our date,” Keith stated.

            “That’s the surprise! We’re doing out pet playdate tonight!” Lance said gleefully.

            “I didn’t know cats walked on leashes?” Keith replied hesitantly.

            “Most cats don’t. But my Blue here is special. She’s loves getting out and seeing people. Plus, it was easy to bring her over on a leash than in her cat carrier.”

            “Alright,” Keith said still intrigued. He noticed that Lance still had his arms full. “Oh, shit sorry that looks heavy. Come on in.”

            Keith moved away from the door and led Lance to the kitchen so he could set down the grocery bag. Blue followed her owner and sniffed around as she did. Lance began to empty the bag and placing the ingredients on the counter. Once the bag was empty Lance bent over to pick up Blue. She nestled herself in his arms quite comfortably and nuzzled her face against his arm.

            “Alright, Keith. Let’s introduce these cuties. Where’s Kosmo?”

            “He should be laying down in the bedroom somewhere. I’ll go get him.”

            Keith left and walked down the hall to the bedroom. He opened the door and he found Kosmo laying on his bed. The dog lifted his head to look at Keith.

            “Alright boy. There’re some people here to see you. You gonna place nice?”

            In response, Kosmo simply jumped down from the bed and walked over to Keith. Keith took this as meaning “Let’s go already” and began walking down the hall. When Keith returned with Kosmo, he found Lance sitting on the couch cradling Blue in his arms still. Lance was petting her and murmuring ( _wait is that Spanish?)_ things to her. Blue seemed to be completely at peace as Lance held her. Lance turned his attention to Keith and Kosmo as they entered.

            “Alright Blue. Go say hi to Kosmo and play nice,” Lance said softly as he set Blue down on the carpet. Kosmo walked over to Blue and began to sniff her. Blue seemed to almost ignore Kosmo as she just watched the dog examine her. She licked her paw and scratched behind her ear and continued to ignore Kosmo. Kosmo laid down on his stomach and continued to cautiously watch Blue just sit in her spot. Blue looked around the room and then at Kosmo. Her tail twitched. She finally stood up and sauntered over to Kosmo. Lance and Keith were hovering over the two in anticipation over what might happen. Blue circled Kosmo and then snuggled right into his side and laid down. Kosmo stared at the small creature nestled into his side. Kosmo seemed at a loss of what to do. He watched Blue snuggled further against him and close her eyes. After a moment Kosmo did the same. Lance and Keith’s eyes met, and they laugh.

            “So much for a play date,” Keith giggled.

            “Well at least they get along,” Lance supplied. He stood up and moved towards the kitchen. “I’m gonna start making dinner for us. I don’t know about you but I’m starving.”

            “Me too,” Keith added. Keith followed him to the kitchen and sat on a chair at the bar so he could watch Lance cook. “Do you want any help with anything?” he offered Lance.

            Lance waved a hand at him. “Nope! I’m here to cook dinner for you mullet. I’ve gotta woo you so you fall madly in love with me and my good looks.” Lance throughs Keith another signature wink his way.

            “I already said yes to the date, didn’t I? How much more wooing do you have to do?” Keith teased.

            “Oh, Keith I’m just getting started,” Lance hummed suggestively. He wiggled his eyebrows at Keith as he began chopping some veggies. Keith hid his face in his hands and laughed at Lance’s spectacle. When Keith looked up again Lance had stopped chopping and was affectionately looking at Keith. Lance’s facial expression was soft and loving. Keith loved having Lance’s eyes on him.

            “You’re cute,” Lance blurts all of a sudden. Lance immediately looks embarrassed after he says it. Apparently, he didn’t mean to say that out loud.

            Keith laughs again. “I think you’re cute too Lance.”

Lance continued to cook while Keith observed him. The two flirted and teased back and forth while Lance chopped or combined ingredients. Lance appeared to be good at multitasking. Keith had no clue what Lance was making but it looked and smelled delicious. He assumed it was some Hispanic dish. Once it seemed that Lance was nearly finished with the meal Keith went to set the table. Lance brought out the food, served it, then sat down to join Keith at the table.

            As the two ate they would occasionally notice Blue and Kosmo in the living room moving around and playing with one another. Kosmo seemed to really like Blue but Blue seemed to be still wary of him. Kosmo was chewing on one of his toys and Blue sat near him and watched. At one point she took a crouched position and then pounced on Kosmo. Blue apparently wanted the toy Kosmo had. Blue emerged from the encounter victoriously and strut around the living room showing off her prize. Kosmo pouted on the couched and watched her with his toy. Keith and Lance watched the whole event transpire and practically died of laughter. They were both surprised that Kosmo was being bested by a small thing like Blue.

            “I think they like each other. Blue’s usually only this sassy when she’s enjoying herself.”

            “Yeah, I think so too. Kosmo’s been nicer to her than he has been to Shiro sometimes.”

            Keith and Lance had finished their meal and Keith went to do the dishes. It was probably one of the best things Keith’s eaten in a long time. Keith could never really cook and only ever ate decent meals when he went out to eat with Shiro. Lance’s cooking was a nice change of pace.

            “Hey, Lance. Why don’t you find a movie to watch while I clean these dishes off?” Keith yelled at Lance from the kitchen.

            “On it!”

Keith finished up the dishes pretty quickly and joined Lance on the couch. Lance had put on some movie Keith had never seen but Lance swore it was amazing. It seemed like some Sci-Fi movie. Not usually Keith’s thing but it wasn’t too bad. Truth be told he wasn’t paying too much attention to the movie. He was very aware of how close Lance was sitting next to him on the couch. Lance had laid his arm across the back of the couch which just happened to be behind where Keith was sitting. Keith was close enough to Lance and swore he could feel some electricity crackle between them like in some cheesy romance novel. Keith desperately wanted to be closer to Lance but didn’t know how to do it naturally. Keith warned to lean into Lance and feel his warmth around him. Just as Keith was trying to come up with a way to get closer to Lance and be smooth about it, Lance’s arm moved from being draped around the back of the couch to being wrapped around Keith. Lance pulled Keith closer into him with his arm. Keith took this opportunity to lean in closer to Lance. Keith rested his head against Lance. Keith feel’s Lance stiffen just for a moment when his head meets his shoulder but quickly relaxes and holds Keith a little tighter as they continue to watch the movie.

            Keith and Lance having finally found comfortable positions stayed that way throughout the movie. Midway through Blue jumped up on the couch to join them and settled down in Keith’s lap. Keith found himself petting her through most of the movie much to Kosmo’s irritation. Kosmo stared at Keith and Blue from the ground. Keith made a mental note to give Kosmo a few extra treats once Lance and Blue left. The movie ended eventually and the two separated and stretched out.

            “It’s getting late. I should probably get Miss Blue here home before she tries to steal you away from me,” Lance chuckles.

            Lance got up and hooked Blue up to her leash and Keith followed them to the door.

            “I had a lot of fun tonight Lance,” Keith said.

            “So have I officially wooed you?”

            Keith chuckles. “I guess you could say that.”

            “So, what are my chances for a second date with you?” Lance asked.

            “I’d say they are very good.”

            “That’s really good to hear,” Lance practically purred.

            Lance leaned in a little closer to Keith. “And what would be the chances of getting a goodnight kiss from you?” Lance said softly.

            Keith’s cheeks heated at Lance’s question. “Uh... also very good I think.”

            Lance Leaned in further. He brought up his free hand and placed it gently on Keith’s cheek. Lance’s lips met Keith’s and even though Keith knew it was coming he was still shocked. Shocked at how soft Lance’s lips were. Shocked and how perfect Lance’s lips seemed to fit his own. Shocked at how good Lance smelled this close up. Shocked at how gentle Lance’s hand was on his face. Shocked that he found himself wrapping his own hand around Lance’s wait and then the other around his neck. The two let their lips explore each other’s mouths and just enjoyed the sensation and taste of one another. After a few moments, Keith felt Lance smile against his lips which caused Keith to smile too. The two broke apart finally. They moved their hands aware from each other and just looked at each other. Both were still smiling like idiots.

            Lance was the one who finally spoke, “Soo… I guess I’ll see you later alright?”

            “That sounds great, Lance.”

            “Bye pretty boy! I’ll text you!” Lance exclaimed as he walked out the door. He waved at Keith and Blue followed her owner dutifully down the hall. Keith watched them leave and was filled with nothing but happiness and anticipation for the next date. Keith shut the door once they vanished from his sight. Keith sighed as he felt his stomach doing cartwheels. He was still in awe that he had just gone on a date with Lance and it had gone so great. Keith hoped and thought there would be many many more in the future. He looked over at Kosmo watching him from the couch.

            “So, what do you think? Should we keep him?”

            Kosmo let out an excited bark. Keith laughed at that.

            “Yeah. I like him too.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you liked this work let me know and leave a kudos or comment! If you guys would like a sequel or additional one-shots from after this fic also let me know! I'd love to do some later on!


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